The government supported the declaration of heritage zones in the West Bohemian spas

Prague - The parts of the towns of Františkovy Lázně, Karlovy Vary, and Mariánské Lázně, along with their spa cultural landscape, will become a heritage reserve at the proposal of the Ministry of Culture. In a final session today, the government of Bohuslav Sobotka (ČSSD) in resignation approved the regulation, according to the results of the meeting. There are a total of 111 heritage reserves in the Czech Republic; the three mentioned spa towns, along with other foreign spas, are seeking to be inscribed on the UNESCO list.

The urban planning of Karlovy Vary, Františkovy Lázně, and Mariánské Lázně is immediately connected to the surrounding spa cultural landscape with numerous parks, alleys, historic paths, viewpoints, chapels, lookout towers, and other relaxation areas, created in accordance with the principles of therapeutic landscapes for the needs of patient treatment.

"All three towns are the most significant representatives of spa towns, whose main development took place in the 19th century, not only in the context of our cultural heritage but also in the competition of world spas,” the Ministry of Culture noted regarding the proposal. That is also why all three towns are part of the multinational serial nomination Famous Spas of Europe for inscription on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

The nomination of the spa towns is international; the group of towns initially was broader, and the final composition consists of 11 European towns - Bad Ems, Bad Kissingen, Baden-Baden, Baden near Vienna, Bath, Františkovy Lázně, Karlovy Vary, Mariánské Lázně, Montecatini Terme, Spa, and Vichy. The nomination has been in preparation for more than ten years and, considering the number of represented towns, it is the most complex nomination in Czech history. According to the latest information from the Ministry of Culture, it should be submitted at the beginning of 2019.

Heritage reserves are characterized by compact historic buildings without significant modern disruptive interventions, featuring a large proportion of architecturally valuable buildings, many of which are cultural monuments. The protection of the heritage reserve encompasses not only individual monuments within its territory but the entire area as a whole, including its panorama. Today, there are 111 heritage reserves in the Czech Republic, including 40 urban and 61 rural heritage reserves.